TARGET 161116

JAPANESE TAIKO DRUMMING

The word "taiko" means simply "drum" in Japanese (etymologically "great" or "wide drum"). Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums ('wa-daiko' in Japanese) and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming (sometimes called more specifically, "kumi-daiko"). In fact, these days, there are Taiko festivals, competitions, and taiko groups often ride and perform on floats in city parades. I (Lyn) was fortunate to witness these floats in Misawa, Japan, and it is an unforgetable experience for both hearing with the ears and feeling in the pit of your stomach. They are LOUD!!!

  
Taiko are traditional Japanese drums used historically to summon spirits for fortune, strength and harmony. They range in size from small lap drums to the largest ones (called "o-daiko") which have drum heads up to 10 feet across, which are used for ceremonies, festivals, and parades..

  
^{The drum on the left is the world's largest. Although large taiko drums are all called "o-daiko", it is actually named "Odaiko", with the "O" in this case standing for a name of royal honor. It's body was carved as a single piece out of the trunk of a century-old tree. Hollow, it weighs 4 tons. To read more about the Odaiko Drums, click HERE.}

Their powerful sounds are rumoured to shake the earth and heavens above. A mighty thunderous sound yet, much like the sound of a mother's heartbeat to her child, it can be rhythmically soothing.

But today's ensambles of drummers rarely ever make their sounds soothing. Many people have heard the top drummers with modern bands, and even Hollywood's ominous sounds of African jungle drums or the drums of Indian tribes about to go to war. But for hypnotic drive and strength, no drumming can beat the Taiko drums of Japan. There is no music to accompany the sound of the drums, so their beat overtakes the listener until it saturates the mind and heart. It would be impossible to explain this in words, so the following video will have to act as your feedback for this remote viewing target. It is a 1.5 minute exerpt of an 11 minute performance at one of Japan's many Taiko Festivals. Imagine the coordinated discipline and the ages of the drummers - as well as how strong their arms must be to hold up at this pace for a full 11 minutes. Note, too, the ages of the drummers and the discipline, training, and practice it must take for those so young to do such a performance, keep synchronized with one another and never skip a single beat. This is as much a strenuous sport as it is a work of art.

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If you got impressions for which this feedback is insufficient, more information,
pictures and videos can be found at the following web sites:

Taiko.com
Wikipedia
A full glossary of Taiko terminology
Japan-talk website

Many thanks to Ray McClure for this target.